France’s Dassault Aviation Declines to Comment on Egyptian Rafale Crash

France’s sole manufacturer of high end combat aircraft, Dassault Aviation, has declined to comment on the crash of an Egyptian Air Force Rafale twin engine medium fighter in late January. France's Mediapart online news outlet has reported that a Rafale EM fighter, which joined the Egyptian Air Force in April 2017, crashed on 28 January at the Gebel El Basur Air Base near Cairo. The incident reportedly occurred in the presence of experts from Dassault Aviation, who were in Egypt in the framework of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to the country. Egypt placed an order for 24 Rafale fighters as part of a €6 billion arms contract in 2015 - part of a comprehensive effort to modernise the country’s aerial warfare capabilities. The purchase closely followed orders for Russian MiG-29M medium fighters, platforms of a similar weight and role of which 40 were ordered, alongside several dozen Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters and advanced S-300V4 long range surface to air missile systems - the most modern of their kind in Russian service.

Dassault Rafale Twin Engine Medium Fighter

The Rafale purchase has sparked much controversy due to the fighter’s extreme cost - particularly when compared to Russian and American manufactured platforms such as the superior F-15I fielded by neighbouring Israel and Su-30MKA of neighbouring Algeria. Egypt has also struggled to acquire SCALP cruise missiles for its Rafale jets due to export bans by the United States - where several of the missile’s components are manufactured. The crash of a Rafale fighter, which is set to cost the Egyptian Air Force around $200 million, is likely to deepen this controversy - and could well end prospects for the country placing further orders for the French jets. Further orders for 12-24 Rafale fighters have long been anticipated should the performance of the first batch of fighters satisfy the Egyptian Air Force. With the Rafale having found just three export clients - and unable to compete on European markets due to the price competitiveness of the more sophisticated American F-35A, diminishing of prospects for further contracts as a result of a crash in the presence of Dassault exports will likely represent a major loss for the French manufacturer.